Leak valve



Patented Nov. 10,1953

LEAK VALVE Calman S. Sagady, Ecorse, Mich., assignor to Bendix Aviation Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application July 9, 1951:, Serial No. 235,737

4 Claims.

mitted simultaneously.

erly operating components.

in construction and reliable in operation.

of a relatively small quantity of fluid.

leak into the valve from the atmosphere.

ponent in the valve.

fective.

2 Other objects and advantages will be apparent from a detailed description of the invention and from the appended drawings and claims.

In the drawings:

In Certain instruments, Such as maSS SDeCtTOm- 5 Figure 1 is a sectional View illustrating a valve eters, a small but known amount of iluid is adconstituting one embodiment of the invention mtted ntO the instrument fel arlelYSS- F01 when the valve is closed to prevent the passage example, some of the molecules of fluid admitted of nuid; and into a mass spectrometer are ionized and these Figure 2 is a sectional view similar to Figure l, ions are analyzed by the spectrometer to deterin which the valve is illustrated in its open posimine their mass or to determine their relative tion. abundance if molecules of diierent gases are ad- In one embodiment of the invention, a support member, generally indicated at IQ, is provided.

In order for such an instrument as a mass The support member l@ is made from glass or spectrometer to operate properly, a controlled other suitable material and is substantially holamount of gas must be admitted into the speclow. The member has a horizontally disposed trometer for analysis. The valves now in use inlet tube l2 extending into the support member employ a hole, or holes, of less than pinpoint at a position intermediate the top and bottom of diameter through which the gas is admitted. the member. The tube I2 is connected to a Because of the somewhat delicate operation of sample reservoir I4 adapted to introduce a gas or these valves, it has been dilicult to cut them oir a mixture of gases into the valve through the completely after the proper amount of fluid has inlet tube l2. been admitted. Furthermore, the holes of pin- An outlet tube I6 extends downwardly from the point diameter tend to become blocked with member I0 at a position below the inlet tube I2. foreign material after they have been in opera- A control tube I8 open at its upper end extends tion for some time, and the construction of the vertically upwardly from the juncture between valves prevents the blocked parts from being the member Ell and the tube l5 and tapers ineasily and quickly removed and replaced by propwardly as it extends upwardly. The control tube I8 has a smaller diameter than the portion of the This invention provides a valve in which the SUlOlJOlt IIlembel1 KU Surrounding it.

low of fluid can be cut on by a simple movement An inverted tube 25 having a bottom portion of one component in the valve. The valve is so tapered at the Same angle as the tapered portion constructed that any defective component can be of the control tube I8 fits snugly on the Control replaced without any trouble by a properly opertube. The tube 2e also has el DOH-tapered DOY- ating component. The valve is simple and sturdy tion Which eXtendS ebOVe the tepeled lOltOIl and which terminates in a sealed end 22. A small An object of the invention is to control the flow hOle 24 0f leSS than pnneirlt diameter-for example, having a diameter considerably less than Another object of this invention is to provide a 0.001 IlCh-S DlOVded in the Sealed end 22 of valve of the above character for preventing any the tube 29, Wllh may also be made from a Suitleaks from developing during the flow of a relaable 'materiel Slleh es glass. tively small quantity of fluid so that the iiuid will A Channel tube 2@ eXteIldS upwardly from the not be contaminated by extraneous gases which SUDDOlt member l0 lm a DOSt-OH Somewhat above the inlet tube i2, The channel tube has A further object is to provide a, valve 0f the 45 a relatively large diameter so that it surrounds above character in which the flow of fluid can be the DOH-tapered pertien 0f the inverted tube l2. cut off by a simple manipulation of one com- The tube 25 tapers IlWedly es it eXteHdS upwardly to provide a close fit between it and a cor- Still another object is to provide a valve of the IeSDOYldngy tapered cap 23 made from a suitabove character in which any component may be able materiel Such e-S gleSS- The een 28 is sealed easily and quickly replaced in case it becomes deat its upper end- An upwardly disposed flange 39 extending from A still further object is to provide a valve of the a position intermediate the inlet tube I2 and the above character which is simple and sturdy in bottom portion of the channel tube 26 is proconstruction and reliable in operation.

vided in the support member l0. The flange 3 has a diameter greater than the channel tube 26 and forms a trough for the reception of a suitable liquid 32, such as mercury. The mercury seals the juncture between the tapered portions of the channel tube 26 and the cap 23 and prevents extraneous gases from the atmosphere from leaking into the valve.

Mercury 34 also rests in the confined space between the control tube I8 and the surrounding wall of the support member IB. The mercury 34 is introduced into the confined space from a exible tube 36 which is connected to a spout 38 extending from the support member IG at a bottom position in the confined space. The flexible tube is continuous at its outer end with a bulbular portion 46.

When the bulbular portion 40 is raised sufiiciently, the level of the mercury 34 in the support member IU rises above the opening between the support member and the body portion of the inlet tube I2, as illustrated in Figure 1. This prevents any iiuid from the reservoir I4 from flowing through the inlet tube I2 into the support member I0. Upon the lowering of the bulbular portion 40 to a predetermined position, such as shown in Figure 2, the level of the mercury falls below the opening between the tube I2 and the body portion of the member ID. Fluid then ows from the reservoir I4 through the inlet tube I 2 into the confined space between the inverted tube 20 and the channel tube 26. From this conned space, the iluid flows through the small hole 24 into the inverted tube 20 and downwardly through the inverted tube and the control tube I8 into the outlet tube I6. The fluid owing through the outlet tube I6 passes into an instrument (not shown), such as a mass spectrometer, for subsequent utilization.

The valve disclosed above has several important advantages. By a simple manipulation of the bulbular portion 40, the ow of uid into the valve can be completely cut off. By another manipulation of the bulbular portion 40, the valve can be completely opened to the flow of uid from the reservoir I4. The fluid flows through the valve without any leakage even though several joints between components exist in the valve.

The Valve is so constructed that any part can be easily and quickly replaced. Probably the part requiring the most frequent replacement is the inverted tube 20. This replacement is sometimes necessary because the small hole 24 may become partly or completely blocked from contamination when the valve has been in use for some time. The replacement is necessary at other times to provide an inverted tube 2|] with a hole 24 having a different size than that in the tube being used so as to vary the rate at which fluid passes through the valve from the reservoir I4. To remove an inverted tube 20 for replacement by a new tube providing efcient operation, the bulbular portion 40 is rst lowered so that the level of the mercury 34 falls below the confined space between the control tube I8 and the body portion of the member I0. The cap 28 and inverted tube 2D are then removed and a new inverted tube is tted onto the control tube I8. The cap 28 is then reinserted on the channel tube 26 to place the valve in condition for subsequent operation.

Although this invention has been disclosed and illustrated with reference to particular applications, the principles involved are susceptible of numerous other applications which will be apparent to persons skilled in the art. The inven- .4 tion is, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1` A leak valve, including, a support member, inlet and outlet tubes extending from the member, a control tube extending from the member and communicative with the outlet tube to establish a continuous circuit for the flow of uid, a channel tube extending from the member, a cap adapted to seat on the channel tube to seal the tube, an inverted tube adapted to t on the control tube in communication with the inlet tube, the tube being closed at one end, there being a hole of small diameter in the closed end of the inverted tube to provide a continuous circuit between the inlet and outlet tubes, and means operative in one position to open the inlet tube for communication with the inverted tube and in another position to close the inlet tube against such communication and in both positions to seal the juncture between the control tube and the inverted tube.

2. A leak valve, including, a support member, inlet and outlet tubes extending from the support member, a control tube extending from the support member in a direction to provide for the passage of a uid between it and the outlet tube, an inverted tube adapted to seat on the control tube and being closed at one'end, there being a hole of small width in the closed end of the control tube, means operativein conjunction with the inlet tube and the inverted tube to provide a sealed passageway for the flow of uid from the inlet tube through the hole in the inverted tube and through the control tube to the outlet tube, means for sealing the juncture between the control tube and the inverted tube, and means operative in one position to adjust the level of the sealing means suciently to block the flow of fluid from the inlet tube to the hole in the inverted tube and in another position to adjust the level of the sealing means sufficiently to open the passageway between the inlet tube and the inverted tube for the flow of fluid.

3. A leak valve, including, a support member, inlet and outlet tubes extending from the support member, a control tube extending from the support member in a direction to provide for the passage of a fluid between it and the outlet tube, an inverted tube adapted to seat on the control tube to form a juncture with the control tube below the inlet tube, the inverted tube being closed at the end opposite from its juncture with the inlet tube, there being a hole of small width in the closed end of the inverted tube,means operative in conjunction with the inlet tube and the inverted tube to provide a sealed passageway for the flow of fluid from the inlet tube through the hole in the inverted tube and through the control tube to the outlet tube, a liquid adapted to seal the juncture between the inverted tube and the control tube, and means operative in one position to raise the level of liquid above the inlet tube to block the flow of iiuid from the inlet tube to the hole in the inverted tube and in another position to lower the level of the liquid below the inlet tube for the passage of the fluid.

4. A leak valve, including, a support member, inlet and outlet tubes extending from the member, a control tube extending from the member and communicative with the outlet tube to establish a continuous circuit for the flow of fluid, a channel tube extending from the support member, a cap adapted to seat on the channel tube to seal the tube, an upturned flange extending from the member adjacent the channel tube to form a trough, a liquid adapted to lie in the trough to seal the juncture between the cap and the channel tube, an inverted tube adapted to t on the control tube in communication with the inlet tube, the inverted tube being closed at one end, there beingr a hole of small diameter in the closed end of the inverted tube to provide a continuous circuit between the inlet and outlet tubes, a liquid adapted to lie in the support meml0 2,280,499

ber adjacent the control tube and the inverted tube to seal the juncture between the tubes, and means operative in one position to raise the level of the liquid above the inlet tube to prevent communication between the inlet and outlet tubes and in another position to lower the level of the liquid for the establishment of such communication.

CALMAN S. SAGADY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 846,078 Wood Mar. 5, 1907 Perkins Apr. 21, 1942 2,591,197 Rau Apr. 1, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 554,516 Germany of 1927 

